We’ve had several hair trimmers over the years; we started out with this one then eventually it wore out and needed to be replaced. Since the Wahl name is one of the biggest in home hair cutting clippers, I went with the same brand but a different model. Even so, the 8647 hair clipper is a great one to start out with to see if you are going to like doing home cuts. Everything that you need to get started in included in the kit and if you take the time to read the instructions, you’ll get pretty good results from the start. One thing that the deluxe version had that this one didn’t have was a 15 minute video cassette [VHS] to show you how to use the blade attachments / hair cutting guides. Newer kits from Wahl have a DVD with them to show you how to use the set up; something that can really help if you are new to cutting your kids hair.
One of the main reasons I purchased this set was money. It was under $12.00 at Wal-Mart and would, in the long run, save me a lot of cash. Even if I took all of the boys to a small local barber shop that charged $5.00 a cut, after the first round of cuts it would more than pay for itself. Since they weren’t all that concerned with their looks back then I could line them up “assembly line style”, throw on a cape, give them a cut and be done with it. This was a real blessing in the summer because it kept them cool and we didn’t have to go to the barber every month for a touch up. Their hair grows fast and I really hate when it starts to looks shaggy so having this hair trimmer was more than worth it. These days they are way too vain to sit down on a chair in the basement and let me cut their hair; the youngest can be coaxed into it but the others just roll their eyes at me and let out a hearty laugh.
Wahl 8647 Home Hair Kit
If you are just starting out with home cuts, this is a nice starter set. It comes with two attachment combs so you can adjust the depth of the cut and do the ‘over the ear’ and nape areas without completely butchering the job. Even though I never read instructions, this is something that I did take the time to do with this product. I knew that if I messed up the cut I could just shave it all down to the scalp [well, almost to the scalp] and give them a crew cut but if I made a mistake the first time they would all fight me tooth and nail on future cuts. The instructions are pretty straight forward and easy to follow but I do have to admit, the deluxe versions that come with the video tape make it a lot easier to get the basics of how to use the trimmer. If you are going to try to cut a younger child’s hair, make sure you turn it on for them before you sit them down for the cut. They’ll be able to hear the noise it makes so they won’t lose it when you start trimming.
This isn’t all that loud but it does have a constant buzzing noise and there is a strong vibration from it. It’s not enough to make your hand hurt when you are using it but you will get a little tingle from it. You can plug this into any standard electrical outlet but you will want to make sure that it is in the off position before you start. There is a lever on the side of it, read the instructions to see how this is best used to pull the blade back or slide it forward. This gives you a little bit of freedom when you are trimming the back and sides of the hair. Start off with the larger of the two attachments on the trimmer - the golden rule here is that you can always trim more hair away if it is still too long. If you start off with the smaller blade you are going to be taking too much of at once and you could get a sloppy cut - even worse, it could snag hair and make for a painful trim.
The comb that comes with this is nice but it doesn’t really help you get the job done. It’s your usual garden variety barber style comb with varying teeth width, like I said, it’s nice but if you try using it with this trimmer it you are going to end up dropping one of them. You may wonder why you need to use oil on the blades; it isn’t a necessity to use it every single time but if you don’t use it often the cutting blades will dry out and it will fry. I made the mistake of not using the oil and one of them ended up wearing out in under six months. I could have contacted them about this because it was still under warranty but I voided it by not using the oil as instructed. One of the biggest problems with this is that you do get extremely small pieces of hair everywhere, even more so when you are finishing up and taking care of those rogue snippets. There’s no way around this but if it bothers the person that you are cutting, try putting some baby powder on their neck and any exposed areas to keep it from itching.
Warranty
This comes with a one year limited warranty. Fill out the card with all the information needed and mail it in to start your year of protection. This warranty doesn’t cover wear and tear on the unit or if you do not properly maintain it by adding oil and cleaning out the blade after you are done with it. This doesn’t take long and they even throw in a small brush to clean the recessed parts. If it doesn’t work right off the bat then return it to where you purchased it for an exchange. I really can’t stress this enough, you have to keep the blade area clean and oil it on a regular basis to keep it functioning properly. The warranty will cover defects in workmanship but it doesn’t cover cracked attachments, if it is used in a commercial setting or if you take it apart to try and fix it yourself.
Price
I can’t remember the exact price of this but I do know that it was under $12.00 at Wal-Mart. This is a great hair clipper / trimmer for someone that wants to save money on basic cuts and if you take care of it you will get a lot of use out of it. After this one died I opted to go with one that had more attachment combs so I didn’t have to have all the boys hair at the same length or wearing the same style. This is well worth the money if you have boys that have hair that grows fast, you will save a good bit of cash doing it at home rather than taking them some place to get it done and you can do touch ups on them whenever it’s needed, not when a shop has an open appointment.
The Bottom Line
This is a great starter kit for someone that wants to save time and money but I do have to be honest and say that you aren’t going to be able to do a ton of different styles with this unless you have some experience with trimmers. You only get two attachment comb guides with this so there is a limit to what you can do with it. To me it was something that kept the boys cool during the summer months, saved a good bit of money and eliminated spending a couple of hours at a barber shop or salon [that is if I could even get them into a “girlie” shop without them protesting] waiting for them to all get cuts. It is easy to use, comes with a one year warranty and within two uses of it, it pays for itself.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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